Wheel attachment for transporting vehicles



Aug. 16, 1949. ,w. H. SEMPE 2,479,421

WHEEL ATTACHMENT FOR TRANSPORTING VEHICLES Filed NOV. 6, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l I jwuc/wtom WILL/HM h. JEN/ 5.

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w. H. SEMPE WHEEL ATTACHMENT FOR TRANSPORTING VEHICLES Aug. 16, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 led Nov. 6, 1944 Patented Aug. 16, 1949 h 2,479,421 V a WHEELAI QHME mannerisms. l

-- l WilliamaHrSempe, Fairbanks, Tex;

' enpl m a erah 6, 1 44 li 52 teams. (01. gee- 0) "Th? i e t n, {det st}; a a n ment wh fi llffi lnliedfl Say ie 5. h es eb metreaha rs 'refiq e a gq th.dbie ts cJ 'th i Y n: tion'to'provid an" alttachmeritwhich elevates the traction wheels qf a vehicle.

Another dbjcfofthe invention is to provide an attachment includinga*rree rol-lingwheel for the carrying of an object.

Still another object' of 'the-invention -is to provide an attachment for tractor-wheels, whereby the firi s*. whce .sm llyzb vel raied and the load supported upon a free rolling wheel of the atta h n iidfurthenobjects ofjthe invention will belieadil-y apparent when --th f l lpwing; de$ cripi s-con'slidered-inconneetioniilth th com- -panying-drawings-wherein- 1 Fig. 1 is a ide ,-elevationpi -a tractor to which the attachment is being aspnea:

Figs 2 is a side elevation of the arrangement of nwim \the traction wheels of "the 'tra'otor elewated and the weight supported 1 upon the free of ,the attachment so tha tfthe tractor isuadytobetowefi 1T1 mg; '3 is :a'isideelevationomhe attachment with the free rolling wheel removed.

Fig. 4 is front elevation of the attachment as seen in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a yoke for attachment to the vehicle to be towed.

In Fig. 1 a tractor 2 having the free rolling front wheels 3 and the geared traction or driving wheels 4 has been illustrated. This is merely an example of a vehicle or piece of equipment which is normally arranged for slow movement or might even be illustrative of a piece of equipment which normally might be skidded over the surface. It is contemplated that the invention may be ap- 4 plied to innumerable fields, but it will be here described as applying to a usual type of farm tractor.

The traction wheels 4 in the usual type of tractor are arranged for relatively slow rotation due to the differential and transmission gear ratio, because of the fact that the tractor is intended for relatively slow movement in the farming and pulling operations.

' When such a tractor becomes disabled and must be moved to a suitable shop for repair, or is to be moved any considerable distance to another location for use, it is a more or less tedious job to drive it at the rate of one or two miles per hour for any substantial distance on ii nt "wi h; h capable fibei iiahl Th s as .6 a d the n ts m aning hee th p u ality oi aenins he ie ijwher t h li M flan e afi ieiiei fi construction "of an automobile wheel.

Arranged for attachment on the flange I! is the free rolling wheel which may be aflixed t0 the flange passing bolts or screws through the openings 2|.

In practice, the attachment will be afilxed as seen in Fig. 1 while the traction wheel 4 engages the surface 23 which supports the load of the tractor. The attachment will be rigidly aflixed by placing the bolts 9 and the nuts [4 to clamp the two cross pieces I2 to the traction wheels. The load of the tractor, however, will not be upon the free rolling wheels 20 at the time of attachment.

After the device has been attached to the traction wheels, a tow yoke such as 25 may be utilized. This yoke is anchored at the forward end of the tractor and has means 28 at the forward end for attachment to a tow vehicle and legs 26 are each arranged to receive an anchor chain or cable 21, one of which may extend along each side of the vehicle and be attached to an eye or anchoring lug 30 adjacent the lower portion of the attachment. A branch anchor chain or member 3| may extend to the other eye or lug 32 on the other end of the attachment so that when the member 21 is drawn taut, the attachment will be held at a slight inclination rearwardly of the aXle or shaft of the traction wheels 4 as seen in Fig. 2. It seems obvious that when the traction wheel 4 is rotated that it will carry the bracket-H and roller 20 around with it and by a proper pull on the tractor itself, the free rolling rollers or wheels 20 will move from the position in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 so that the free rolling wheels will take the load of the tractor and the traction wheels 4 will be elevated from the surface 23 as best. seen in Fig. 2. The anchor chains or cables 21 may now be connected or they may have been connected at an earlier step in the proceedings.

In any event the traction wheels are now supported onthe free rolling wheels 20 and held against further turning by the anchor means 21, 3'lso that the tractor maybe moved at will and at any desired speed without injury to the driving mechanism or traction wheels.

What is claimed is: I l. An attachmentfor relatively slowly rota- ,table vehicle wheels to raise and carry such 'wheelcomprisinga bracket, means to affix the bracket diametrically on the "wheel/a stub shaft on said bracketextending laterally of and which is eccentric of the wheel, a roller on said shaft of lesser diameter than" said wheel so that the periphery of ,the roller extends beyond the periphery of the wheel so that as the wheel turns. and the' roller moves into engagement withtheroadwa'y, the roller will cause the wheel to' be elevated out of engagement with the roadway and the roller thereafter carries the, wheel load, and 'means to anchor the wheel and bracket against further turning after theroller assumes the load so that the vehicle may be towed, at a relatively'higher rate 'of speed than would be possible were the Wheel on the roadway.

2. The combination with a vehicle to be towed of an attachment to elevate a wheel of the vehicle comprising, a bracket including a pair of spaced cross-plates affixed thereto and attachable to the wheel, a shaft on said bracket, a roller on said shaft disposed eccentrically of the wheel solthat as the wheel turns, the roller engages the surface being traveled and further turning of the wheel elevates the wheel, "and means to thereafter prevent further rotation of the wheel and bracket so that the vehicle is free to travel on said roller, said last means includ inga yoke on the vehicle by which 'itmay be connected for towing.

3. A towing attachment for moving vehicles having slowly rotatable wheels comprising a bracket, means to'attach the bracket to the wheel, a roller on the bracket to engage the surface being traveled by rotating the wheel to where the roller projects beyond the periphery thereof, said bracket including a pair of cross members to be fitted onto the wheel retaining means.

4. A towing attachment for moving vehicles having slowly rotatable wheels comprising a bracket, meansto attach 'thefbracket to the wheel, a roller on the bracket to engage thesurfface being traveled by rotating the wheel. to where the roller projects beyond the periphery thereof, said bracket including a pair ofi cross members tobe fitted onto the wheel retaining means, and means to retain'the wheel against further rotation so that therollen carries the load and is free to rotate as the .vehicle is towed.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS V France 1 Oct. 16, 1939 

